Car-coupling.



7/7 kmg mag A. J. BAZELEY.

' CAR-COUPLING.

APPLiCATION FILED JULY 20, 19H

1, 1 4%, 3 1 Patented June 22, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR WW (2 may A. 1. BAZELEY.

CAR COUPLING.

ATl LED 1 LY 2 Patented June 22, 1915. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A. J. BAZELEY.

CAR COUPLING. 7 APPLICATION FILED JULY 20,19u.

1 l 44;, 3 1 5 Patented June 22, 1915.

4 SH EETSSHEET 4.

WITNESSES INVENTOR l @FTU ARTHUR J'. BAZELEY, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.

Application filed July 20, 1911.

To all whom it may concern of Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplers, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figures 1, 2 and 3 are views partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation showing one form of coupler embodying my invention, the parts being shown in locked position in Fig. 1, in lockset position in Fig. 2, and in knuckle-thrown position in Fig. 3; Fig. 4 is. a transverse vertical section taken on the line IV-IV-of Fig. 10; Figs. 5 and 6 are detail viewsof the locking piece; Fig. 5 being partly broken away; Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of the lock-lifting member; Fig. 9 is a plan view of the knuckle-throwing member; Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are horizontal sections corresponding, in the position of the parts shown, to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 respectively; and Fig. 1.3 is' a side elevation of the coupler head and knuckle.

My invention has relation to car couplers of the automatic type, and is designed to improve the construction and operation of the coupler as a whole, whereby to provide a more serviceable, durable and efficient coupler.

My improvements relate to the form and construction of the coupler head; to the form and construction of the coupler knuckle and manner of its engagement with the head; to the construction and operation of the looking and knuckle-throwing members; and to various other details of construction hereinafter more fully described.

Referring first to that form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 13, inclusive, the numeral 2 designates the coupler head having the shank 3. This coupler head is, in its general form, similar to the coupler heads of the Master Car Builders type, but embodies several important modifications. It is provided with the usual upper and lower jaws 4, between which the knuckle 5 swings, and is also provided with an intermediate centrally located jaw 6, the three jaws 4: and 6 having alined vertical openings therethro lzigh for the reception of the knuckle The knuckle 5 is formed with the recess 8 Specification of Letters Patent.

. be described.

Patented June 22, 1915.

Serial No. 639,589.

to receive the central jaw 6. The interior chamber of the coupler head has the inclined bearing wall 9 for the outer face 10 of the knuckle tail; and by reason of the provision of the central jaw 6, this hearing face 9 is permitted to extend at said jaw to a point 'beyond the center line of the pivot pin, as

clearly seen in Figs. 10 and 11. This extension of the bearing face 10 adjacent to this central jaw or lug greatly ihcreases the hearing area of the knuckle and gives an extended central bearing for the knuckle tail under pulling strains whereby the pin 7 is relieved from such strains.

The numeral 11 designates the locking- 11 for a wedging engagement with a correspondingly inclined face 11 upon the interior of the coupler head. The upper portion or head of the locking piece containing these bearing faces is of relatively large cross-section so as to form a secure lock for the knuckle. It has a depending reduced leg 15, one side of which has the curved face 16, and terminates at its lower end in the forwardly offset portion 17 having therethrough an inclined slotted opening 18, through which if desired the lock may be actuated by a bottom operated lever (not shown). The head is also formed with the forward projection 19 having in its upper side the undercut recess 20, which is adapted for engagement with the rearward projection or shoulder 21 on the front wall of the interior of the coupler head, these parts coacting in the manner which will presently The rear side of the head of the lock is also provided with a downwardly extending T-shaped slot 22, which is adapted to be engaged by trunnion projections 23 on the lower end .of a lock-lifting member 24 which extends downwardly into the head through the top opening 25. The upper walls of the wider portion of the slot 22 are shaped to form bearing surfaces 22* for the trunnion projections 22-5, whereby the lifting member has a pivotal connection with the locking piece. and the locking piece is capable of a pivotal movement with respect to the lifting member. The lifting ,member may be connected to any suitable actuating device, not shown, and forming no part of my present invention. In Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 13 the upper end of the lifting member is shown as proiided with a clevis 26 for its attachment to suitable actuating mechanism.

The lifter 24 has a shoulder 24 projecting from its side near its lower end, which is adapted, after the trunnions 23 have been inserted in the slot 22 (and the lifter has been rotated to upright position), to bear on the recess or dish 11 on the head of the lock 11, to prevent the trunnions 23 from sliding downwardly out of the slot 22 when the strain on the lifter 24 has been relieved.

27 designates a knuckle-throwing memher, which is in the form of a bell crank lever, having at its angle a depending pin or stud 28, which is provided with a suitable bearing in the lower wall of the coupler head at the rear side thereof. This knuckle-throwing member has a forwardly extending arm preferably provided at its forward end with an upward projection 29, which is adapted to engage the cam surface 29 of the knuckle-tail in the manner best shown in Fig. 12, in which figure it is shown as having moved the knuckle to the open or thrown position. The laterally extending arm 27 a of the member 27 is preferably offset downwardly from the plane of its forwardly extending arm, as will be apparent from'Figs. l, 2 and 3, and is adapted to support the locking piece in the lockset position by its engagement with the shoulder 18 of said piece, as shown in Fig'. 2.

The head is provided with the interior guardshoulder or projection 27", which normally overhangs the member 27 to prevent upward displacement thereof.

In order to prevent upward creeping of the locking piece when in its locked position and particularly when there is a strain put upon it, as when the knuckle is subjected to a pull, the inclined portion 14 of the bearing wall 14 of the coupler head terminates at its upper end, as best shown in Fig. 4, in a shoulder, 14. Any tendency of the locking piece to work or creep upwardly under pulling strains will be checked by this shoulder 14", but the shoulder does not prevent the free lifting of the lock by meansv of its lifting attachments when there is no strain put upon the knuckle tail.

The operation is as follows :In the locked position, the locking piece fits and wedges between the knuckle tail and thef bearing face 14 of the coupler head in the manner clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 10. To

move the parts into lockset position, the lifting piece 24 is raised and swung by its actuating connections to the position shown in Fig. 2, causing the upper surface of the projection 19 of the locking piece to contact with the overhanging shoulder or projection 21, thereby swinging the depending leg 15 rearwardly, and causing its shoulder 18 to engage with the lateral arm 27 of the knuckle-throwing member 27. Further lifting movement on the member 24 will cause a further fulcruming movement of the look ing piece on the projection 21, and thereby force its depending leg rearwardly against the lateral arm of the member 27. This swings the member 27, and forces the projection 29 of its forwardly extending arm against the rear cam surface 29 of the knuckle tail to thereby throw the knuckle to its open position as shown in Fig. 12. The upper surface of the knuckle tail is formed with the incline or cam surface 30; and as the knuckle tail moves forwardly this cam surface rides into engagement with the under side of the projection 19, and raises the lock-ing piece sufiiciently to free it from its locksetting engagement with the member 27 and cause it to be hung upon and supported by the knuckle tail, as shown in Fig. 3. This same movement also causes the depending leg of the locking piece to swing forwardly so that when the knuckle is closed and its tail rides out from under the locking piece, the latter can drop freely to its locking position.

The lower end of the lifting member 24 is shown as having a rearwardly projecting toe 24 and when the parts are in the locked position shown in Fig. 1, this toe lies a short distance below a shoulder 24 on the inner side of the rear wall of the coupler head, the engagement of the toe 24 with the projection 24 being designed to act as a lock to the lock in addition to the shoulder 14 before described, this'toe portion being swung out from under the shoulder 24 when the piece 24 is lifted by reason of the engagement of the trunnions 23 with the inclined upper wall of the recess 22.

The parts before described are preferably so constructed that, with the single exception of the lifting member 24, they may be used in a coupler of either the top or bottom-operating type.

The advantages of my invention are many. I have before pointed out the largely increased hearing which is provided for the knuckle upon the interior of the coupler head by reason of the central jaw 6 and its extended inner bearing face for the knuckle:

' It will also be noted (see'Fig. 13), that the arrangement, and combination of the various parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended cl aims. Thus, while I have shown the parts as adapted for use without supcomprising a head adapted to transmit pulling stresses therethrough and a depending leg, the said head having a fulcruming shoulder on its forward side below the .top of that locking surface which cooperates with .the knuckle tail, a shoulder on the front wall of the coupler'head intermediate the knuckle opening and the top wall of the coupler cavity, adapted to cooperate with the shoulder on the lock by a bodily vertical movement of the lock, to throw the leg of the lock rearwardly.

2. A locking piece for car couplers, comprising a locking head and a depending leg, said locking head having a fulcruming shoulder projecting from its forward side and located below the upper surface of said head, the said' shoulder being adapted to cooperate with an intermediate portion of the front wall of the coupler head, and the said leg being adapted to cooperate with a knuckle-opening member.

3. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head and a knuckle pivoted thereto, of a vertically and bodily movable floating locking piece comprising a locking head and a depending leg, the locking head having a fulcruming' shoulder projecting from its forward side and the coupler head having a cooperating shoulder on its front wall, said shoulders, when the lock is in locking position, being separated vertically by a distance at least as great as, the vertical depth of the locking surface on the locking head on the knuckle side, whereby the lock may be lifted vertically, first, to free it from the knuckle tail, and, afterward, to bring said shoulders into contact to cause the leg of the locking piece to swing rearwardly.

4. A locking piece for couplers, comprising a locking head and a depending leg, the head having a a fulcruming shoulder atits forward side, and the leg terminating at its lower end in a forwardly offset portion and having its rear side provided with a substantially horizontal shoulder; substantially as described. 1

5. In a car coupler, a knuckle pivoted therein, a floating locking piece comprised of a locking head-and a depending leg, and a knuckle-opener cooperating with said leg, said locking head having a T-slot therein and a'recess on its top surface, a lifter having at its lower end trunnions bearing in said slot, a shoulder on the lifter, cooperating with said recess, to prevent disengagement of the trunnions from said slot.

6. A vertically and bodily movable locking member having a depending leg and an undercut portion near the lower end of the leg, a knuckle opener having an arm cooperating with said leg, the said arm being adapted to maintain the lock in a vertical position until the lock fulcrums against the head.

7. A car coupler having a coupler head, a knuckle lock, an anti-creep member on the rear wall of the coupler head and in rear of to the lock in rear of its center of gravity and having a portion underlying the anticreep member in the locking position of the knuckle lock.

8.- A car coupler having a coupler head, a knuckle lock, a lock-set seat in rear of the knuckle lock. an anti-creep member on the rear wall of the coupler head and in rear of the knuckle lock, and a lock lifter connected to the lock in rear of its center of gravity and having a portion underlying the anticreep member in the locking position of the knuckle lock.

9. A car coupler having a coupler head, a knuckle lock provided with an upright groove in its rear face, a lock-set seat in rear of the lock, an anti-creep member on the rear the knuckle lock, and a lock lifter connected wall of the coupler head, and a lock lifter having a portion underlying the anti-creep member in the locking position of the lock, said portion of the lifter being loosely connected to the lock in rear of its center of gravity and movable in the groove to permit of said lifter portion being moved out from beneath the anti-creep member.

10. In a car coupler, a head, a pivoted knuckle, a vertically-movable and tiltinglocking block having a head and a depending leg, said lock having a point of attachment for lifting mechanism and a fulcrum point located at one side of said point of attachment, and a fulcrum shoulder in the coupler head adapted to cooperate with the fulcrum point on the look when the lock has been lifted, said fulcrum point and fulcrum shoulder when the lock is in locked position being separated by a vertical distance suflicient to permit the head of the lock to be lifted bodily vertically clear of the knuckle tail, said fulcrum point and said fulcrum shoulder cooperating at the end of the free upward vertical movement of the lock to swing the leg of the lock to actuate a knuckle-throwing member.

11. In a carconpler, a lock-lifting memher, a floating locking piece pivotally con- 7 nected with said lock-lifting member, said locking piece comprising a head adapted to transmit pulling stresses" therethrough and a depending leg, the said head having a fulcruming shoulder at its forward side in a horizontal plane at least as low as the'pivotal point between the said head and the said lock-lifting member, and a shoulder on ARTHUR J. BAZELE Y.

Witnesses:

F. W. SWENsToN, HARRY E. ORR.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington. I). C." I v 

